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Question

Public WIFI security

Dec 30, 2011 8:50PM PST

I'm moving into an apartment that has free public wifi for internet access. What will I need to do to insure that my computer and personal information stays private while utilizing this public forum? I don't want anyone to be able to monitor me or "grab" personal info from my computer such as psswds.

Discussion is locked

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Answer
Any expectation of privacy,
Dec 30, 2011 10:36PM PST

on a public WiFi system is negligible.

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Then pay for
Dec 30, 2011 10:58PM PST

Then pay for your own dedicated Internet access. Even if you do everything suggested, there's still plenty of opportunity for a man-in-the-middle attack by anyone in the complex or even within range of the complex's wireless signal. Odds are there won't be any kind of encryption on the signal if it's a public one, but even if there is, anyone in the complex will have to be given the password, so that would make life so much easier to crack any individual's network stream that they wished.

While the odds of someone doing a man in the middle type attack are probably pretty low, it's always a risk you will not be able to eliminate if you use the complex's wireless. If you pay for your own DSL or Cable service, that would be different. Then if you have a wireless signal for your apartment, you can set the encryption and encryption key, and not have to share it with anyone. Making it significantly harder for anyone to eavesdrop on your online activities. It still won't completely eliminate it, but you take the risk down from unlikely to very difficult.

If you're using a public wifi system, be it at an apartment complex, airport, coffee shop, whatever... You should assume that every action you take can and will be monitored by someone, no mater how many precautions you think you might be taking.

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This area is well known.
Dec 31, 2011 3:30AM PST

Just look up FIRESHEEP and blammo. Sorry but if you want free you give up the privacy.
Bob

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Thanks for the response
Dec 31, 2011 5:55AM PST

Thanks for the answers. There must have been some confusion though, I'm not looking for free internet. Paying for it isn't a problem. I can have my own DSL installed, or I can use the WIFI hotspot that I travel with. This is simply an amenity that is provided. I was simply wondering if there was a sure fire way of avoiding security issues on a public wifi. And so according to the feedback, there is none. Luckily, there will be only three apartments that can use this. But one bad apple is to many. Thanks again for the answers.